New Crime Scene Unit: Monroe County Sheriff's Office obtains forensics vehicle
Forensics are often a key in solving crimes and the Monroe County Sheriff's Office regularly collects evidence to help prosecute criminal cases.
But up until recently, collecting evidence required determining which deputy had which piece of equipment and coordinating how to get each specialized piece of equipment where. That time-consuming process no longer is required with the Crime Scene Unit, an all-in-one forensics van.
“The biggest benefit to this is having everything in one centralized location,” Undersheriff Jeff Pauli said.
The vehicle is a modified GMC Savana van, which is reminiscent of the sheriff's Special Response Team vehicle. The rear cab includes a cavernous interior and has a series of cabinets accessible from the exterior, with each one specified for a piece of equipment. It is built like a camper van for collecting forensic evidence.
“We all have our to-go bags, but a smaller amount [of equipment], not specialized items,” Detective Margie Martin said. She explained that previously, in the event of a major crime scene, at least one deputy would have to take a time-consuming trip to retrieve all the equipment needed, then return to the scene before a proper forensic investigation could commence.
“Now it is all in one spot," Martin said. "All of our evidence techs and detectives know where everything is, so we can all use it and we’ll be able to process a crime scene a lot faster.”
The vehicle came at a price of $40,388, according to Pauli. The original 2022 GMC Savana 3500 chassis came from Todd Wenzel Buick GMC at a cost of $26,832. The attached Knapheide KUV forensics compartment cab cost an additional $13,503.
The equipment includes the Oscar 360, an extendable photographic tower, which rises from a circular base about the size of a large dinner plate, and extends a camera pole from the ground. It is capable of producing a 360-degree view of crime scenes to assist in documenting evidence, visualizing investigations and assisting juries to better understand cases while in court.
“Let’s say you had a big car pileup, which stretched for a quarter of a mile. With this, you can get high enough up in the air where you can see the gravity of it,” Pauli said. “If one person sets that chain of events going, you can see the devastation in one photograph, one video, versus taking multiple photographs. You still need those individual photographs, but this shows the gravity of it.”
Pauli expects the new vehicle will be in use for 15 to 20 years, much longer than the average squad car.
The van is the property of the sheriff, but it is expected to be shared with other law enforcement agencies in Monroe County. It can be used for criminal and fire investigations.
The equipment must be maintained and electronically charged. When parked in the lot behind the Sheriff’s Office and Monroe Police Department building on Second Street, a yellow chord can be seen coming out from a socket on the driver’s side to a utility pole connected to the power grid.
“When we got the truck, we had electricity put in, so we can have all of our items charged," Martin said. "The flashlights and all of the electric tools are ready to go at a minute's notice."
A separate generator is available when on a crime scene to create enough power to keep everything sufficiently charged, Martin added.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe County Sheriff's Office gets forensics collection vehicle
